Double Dates
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Shelby knows Kendall feels something for Chase. Kendall knows Shelby has a crush on Tyler.
1. Girl Talk

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Kendall's heart warmed as she watched the cafe. She couldn't help but smile at her wait staff, thrilled that they were finally all back together.

Ice-Age's attack and the presence of a new, mysterious monster once again threatened the Earth. Kendall, Chase, Ivan and Koda had suspected there was a monster still running around after the crash, but since he had preferred to stay low until now, they thought it wasn't necessary to call everyone back from their regular lives. They had four Rangers in town, that should have been enough for one villain.

But if Ice-Age was back as well, there was no telling how many of the monsters survived the crash. Kendall had run scan after scan in the past few months to calm her doubts, but it seemed something had been off that whole time. Kendall wasn't sure how it happened, but the sensitivity of the scans had been altered. She fixe it the night after Ice-Age attacked and she could now pick up on several dozen active alien signatures gathered in the wreckage of Sledge's ship. Clearly, it was an army forming.

Hearing this news, Tyler and Shelby offered to stay behind and Chase made a call out to Riley. Kendall reached out to the Prince, asking him to stand by in case he was needed. His responsibility to the throne of Zandar meant he couldn't leave for extended periods of time and he also wanted to be home to protect his land. It wasn't likely the monsters would come out that far, but one energem had been found in his kingdom. Perhaps there were more.

Riley had promised to come down that evening. In just a couple of hours, Kendall would have the team back together, just like old times. To her surprise, having them back brought on a sense of comfort and ease. She liked knowing they were close.

"I take back everything I said about missing this job," Shelby groaned, sitting down at Kendall's table. She removed her apron and her hat. She always refused to look the part of a waitress while she was on break.

"I hate to say it, but I even missed that," Kendall answered barely looking up from her tablet at Shelby. "This place just seemed too quiet without someone complaining they hated their job."

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the kitchen as pots, lids and dishes crashed to the floor. It was immediately followed by a loud apology from Koda and Tyler rushing into the back, calling out that he would clean it up.

"Quiet? Really?" Shelby asked Kendall, who sighed at the thought of a mess in her kitchen.

"I've learned to drown them out," another crash from the kitchen made Kendall sigh. "Otherwise I'd go mad."

"You are the expert on ignoring people," Shelby muttered, earning herself a look from Kendall. She winced, realising her comment had come out a little harsher than she anticipated. "Sorry, Ms. Morgan. I just meant... I was just... I shouldn't have said it."

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. She and Shelby had always had an interesting relationship. She never hated the pink Ranger, and in fact admired her passion for learning and her refusal to take crap from other people. She liked that Shelby could stand her ground while at the same time remain soft enough that making friends was still relatively easy. What had always bothered her about the pink Ranger was that Shelby was often a little too eager to get ahead and wasn't willing to do the grunt work it took before she could move herself up the ladder.

"It's fine, Shelby," she said. "If anything, I missed this too."

"Really?" Shelby asked, frowning slightly. "I thought you'd be glad I was gone."

"There's... a lot of testosterone around here without you," Kendall explained, sighing slightly as she recalled the quiet night a couple weeks back, where in order to keep the boredom at bay, the boys started arranging the tables and chair to form a maze that led into the fort they built out of tables, booths and tablecloths. Kendall had walked into what Ivan called New Zandar and had taken five minutes working her way through the maze before finally reaching the fort where the boys were taking their break and eating burgers and fries.

"Tell me about it," Shelby rolled her eyes as she agreed with Kendall. "I was actually kind of disappointed when just after you bonded with the purple energem, the fighting was over. It would have been so much better having another girl on the team. You know, I was a little worried when you found the aqua energem, it would be bonded to another girl and I'd be missing out."

"Missing out? On what?" Kendall asked.

"I don't know... girl stuff, I guess. Maybe you'd get along with her better and start talking about... dinosaurs and stuff."

"Can't you talk about dinosaurs with Tyler?" Kendall asked and noticed at the mention of the red Ranger's name, Shelby started to blush. Kendall looked to the pink Ranger curiously, then remembered Shelby and Tyler had spent a couple of months travelling alone together. It had been crystal clear that before they left, Shelby had a huge crush on the red Ranger. All that time alone surely had to encourage something to happen between the two of them.

"It's more the _stuff_ I wanted to talk about," Shelby said.

"What kind of stuff?"

"Are you sure you want to hear it?" Shelby asked. "I mean, are we even that kind of... friends?"

"If there's something you want to talk about, Shelby, I am all ears. I always have been."

"You never looked like it," Shelby muttered before mentally kicking herself again. "Sorry, Ms. Morgan. Old habits. I really don't mean to sound so..."

"Chase said he loved me," Kendall decided she would be the one to start. She wanted to prove to Shelby that in spite of their butting heads, she did like and trust the pink Ranger. They could get along, and they could talk about _stuff_ together that the boys likely wouldn't want to hear or couldn't understand.

Shelby, hearing Kendall's confession let her jaw hit the table.

"He told you?"

"Clearly, I was the very last to know," Kendall muttered. Shelby shook her head.

"No, this is great! I mean, now you two can stop dancing around the matter and..."

"Oh, you're one to talk," Kendall chuckled and then cast a glance Tyler's way.

"Hey, that's different," Shelby frowned.

"And how so?"

"I... it just... it is," Shelby crossed her arms over her chest and pouted in her seat. "Mine is just... a crush. Nothing more. Chase _loves_ you. You just have to tell him you love him back and..." Shelby trailed off when she saw the almost shameful look on Kendall's face. She frowned deeply. "Ms. Morgan... don't you love him too?"

"It's... complicated."

"Come on. I mean, sure, he's not _my_ type," Shelby said. "He's got a little too much ego, he flirts a little too hard and... to be honest, the accent does nothing for me. But he's a good guy, isn't he? What's holding you back?"

"I'm... scared."

"Of? What's there to be scared about?"

Kendall shot Shelby a look and the pink Ranger shrunk a little in her seat.

"Oh... right. But... you know he loves you back so..."

"For how long?" Kendall asked. "For as long as it's new? Until he meets another girl? Until he has to go back home to New Zealand and I need to stay here? Shelby, everyone who's ever loved me had left me."

"That's hardly true," Shelby rolled her eyes and leaned forward. "Suck it up, Ms. Morgan. Your dad left. He didn't love you. Your mother killed herself and... okay, well that's sad but... that's where it ends. You left the Fishers, didn't you?"

"I..."

"And Cammy's still around, right?"

"She's nine. Where is she going to go?"

"Fair point but... still. Cammy's not leaving you. Not now, not when she's eighteen and not when she's thirty and has a job and is married and having kids. And we've never left you either."

Kendall cocked and eyebrow. Shelby sighed.

"Alright, we did physically leave you," she admitted. "But it's not like we weren't still around and checking in and... it's not like we were never going to come back. People don't leave you, Ms. Morgan, you just think they do. Now," Shelby crossed her arms on the table and looked directly at her boss. "Do you like Chase? Even a little bit?"

Kendall nodded her head. Shelby smiled.

"Then ask him out."

"On a date?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"Hey, Chase!" Shelby called when she could see that Kendall was hesitant. "Ms. Morgan was just telling me about that new bar that opened up down the street and she wanted to check it out. Think you'd like to go with her?"

"Yeah. Sounds fun!" Chase called back with a nod of his head and an excited look on his face. When he walked back into the kitchen, Kendall turned to Shelby with a glare. The pink Ranger smirked.

"Make sure you wear something nice. So he knows you're trying."

"I... I..." Kendall stammered before she noticed Tyler carrying a tray over to a nearby table. She smirked. "Hey, Tyler, we're headed to a bar tonight. Want to come along?"

"Ms. Morgan..."

"That sounds awesome!" Tyler answered with excitement. "Who's going?"

"Well, Koda and Ivan are going to have to wait around for Riley and help him unpack," Kendall answered. "So it'll just be me and Chase, and you and Shelby."

"That sounds great! I'll be there!"

Shelby glared at Kendall, who wore a content smirk on her face.

"Well played, Ms. Morgan," Shelby admitted. "Really, well played."


	2. Tyler's Attempt

Tyler wasn't sure what to make of this night out with his friends. It wasn't all the Rangers who had come to the bar. There was only him, Shelby, Chase and Kendall. It was an odd group, mostly because Kendall had come along. She wasn't normally one to hang out with the Rangers outside of the museum and after work hours. Indeed, she only ever really hung out with Koda, sharing a dinner with him just like he would have done with his tribe back in his time.

It had never been explicitly stated, so Tyler wasn't sure if this was the case, but he had a feeling this was supposed to be a double date. He knew of Chase's monster crush on Kendall. Almost the whole town knew at this point. Hell, Tyler was sure the people of Zandar were well away of the black Ranger's feelings for the scientist. It was still up in the air how Kendall felt for Chase, but from what Tyler had seen there was definitely something brewing. Maybe Kendall was just too shy to admit the way she felt.

He couldn't judge her for it. He had had his own crush, but had been too afraid to act. From the moment he met Shelby in the woods, just before bonding with their energems, he had feelings for her. Of course, the first thing to bring it on was how hot she was. Tyler had never seen someone quiet as beautiful as Shelby, and that had played a big role in jumping to her rescue.

Of course, Shelby had been able to hold her own. His helping hand had been a huge advantage for her, but it wasn't like she played the damsel in distress. She was brave in the face of the monster and more than willing to protect the box she had in her hands. Tyler had greatly admired the way she stood for what was right, even against impossible odds.

He never said anything, though; worried she wouldn't return his feelings. He didn't feel he had anything really to offer her that was unique to him. He wasn't the strongest, like Koda, or the smartest like Riley. He didn't have a neat accent like Chase, and he certainly wasn't literally a Knight in shining armour like Ivan. He was just Tyler. He hoped that was enough, but he couldn't be sure. Not unless he outright asked her, of course.

He wouldn't do that. He couldn't bring himself to do it. It was never the right time. Either there were other people around, or if they were alone they were having too good a time for him to ruin it with such a heavy, awkward question. Right now, they were friends, great friends, in fact. He didn't want to do anything that would mess that up.

Of course, there had been one awkward moment between them.

Shelby excused herself from the table and Kendall followed her to the washroom, leaving Tyler sitting alone with Chase. He sighed, looking to the glass of water before him.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" he asked the black Ranger, who shook his head.

"Not a clue, mate."

"So, they didn't tell you either what this was?" Tyler asked. "I mean, if we're just hanging out as friends... shouldn't we have invited the others along? That's how it works, right?"

"I've always been kind of a go with the flow guy," Chase said, a little bit of a chuckle in his voice. Tyler was jealous at how relaxed the black Ranger was. He knew of Chase's crush and thought maybe if he too suspected this was a date, he would be nervous.

"How?"

"Just am."

"Yeah, but... _how_ ," Tyler asked again, hoping Chase could provide him with an answer that would help him figure out the night. "I mean... this could be your very first date with Kendall and you wouldn't know it."

"Could be."

"You've gotten more obnoxious since I left," Tyler said. "The girls invited us out."

"They did."

"Aren't you curious?"

"I told Kendall how I felt," Chase said, leaning back in his chair. "Just before you and Shelby came back, she and I had a talk about it all and... She knows, mate. She knows I love her."

"You... you told her? How? Why?"

"You don't get anywhere by holding back," Chase shrugged. "My father taught me that. You tell a girl how you feel, the worst she can do is turn you down. Then you know, you move on."

"You say that like it's so easy," Tyler muttered. "Like you can just... spew it out."

"You _can_ ," Chase insisted. "I told Kendall how I felt. Now, she hasn't given be a straight answer back yet, but I can wait it out a little bit. She's worth waiting for."

"And if she rejects you... it's not going to hurt?"

"Big time," Chase nodded his head. "But I'll get past it. She wouldn't have been the one for me and I'll eventually fall even more in love with someone better. That's also what my dad said."

"Is that how he and your mom got together?"

"No. Mum came onto him," Chase chuckled. "But you can't wait around for Shelby, you know."

"Who... who says I'm waiting," Tyler asked, trying to play Chase's comment off like it meant nothing, but he could feel himself starting to sweat. He had hoped no one had caught onto his feelings for Shelby. That he had done a good enough job covering them up his teammates wouldn't notice how his face turned red when she walked into the room, or how he would always sneak a look at her when no one noticed.

"Mate, Shelby's head over heels for you," Chase said. "I thought for sure when you went off together, something would happen. How can you two be alone for months and not talk about that... tension?"

"I... well..." Tyler pulled at his collar. "We, uh... We just didn't..."

"Not at all? Not even once?"

Tyler blushed until his face matched his shirt. Chase smirked and leaned in.

"Bro..."

"My search for my father was getting nowhere, alright," Tyler muttered, looking down at the table as he spoke with Chase. "I was getting frustrated because if I couldn't get any information from Fury, and that seemed to be a dead end anyway, I should have been able to get a new lead. Shelby was there, she tried to comfort me and... we kissed."

"Kissed?" Chase cocked an eyebrow. "And you're still nervous about telling her how you feel?"

"We didn't talk about it afterwards," Tyler said. "It just kind of happened, we both got embarrassed and the just... pretended nothing was different. She never brought it up again after that so I thought maybe it was just a heat of the moment thing."

"Mate, she kissed you," Chase chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, and trust me, I do, that alone would tell me she had a huge crush on you too."

"You think?"

"Sure," Chase nodded his head and saw the girls were coming out of the washroom. "Do it, mate. Do it now, before you chicken out."

"But..."

"Kendall!" Chase called to the purple Ranger as he got up from the table. He took her arm, pulling her to the door. "Why don't we take advantage of the warm night and got for a walk?"

"But..."

Chase leaned into Kendall, "If he does what he's told, Tyler's going to ask Shelby out."

"Oh..." Kendall looked to the table, then directly to Shelby, giving her a smile. Shelby had pulled her aside to voice her frustrations about Tyler. She had hoped being forced into this double date would push him to start thinking about her more romantically, but Tyler was treating the dinner like they were just four friends hanging out. "Sounds good."

She walked out with Chase, leaving the pink and red Rangers on their own at the table. Shelby shifted in her seat, a little uncomfortable in anticipation of what Tyler would do next. Tyler nervously rubbed his arm and tapped his foot, trying to find the right thing to say. He wanted so badly to ask Shelby out on a date that he didn't want to mess up at all.

"So..." Shelby started, but had no idea where to take the conversation from there. Being alone with Tyler was usually never awkward. However, this was starting to feel a lot like right after she had kissed him. "It's uh... it's nice to be back, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," Tyler answered, still wracking his brain for the perfect way to ask Shelby on a real date.

"It's just... too bad, you know. That we couldn't find your father, I mean. It's too bad we couldn't find him before coming back."

"Too bad, yeah," Tyler nodded then took a deep breath. He thought he knew what to say. "Hey, uh... Shelby..."

He looked to her and Shelby felt her heart start to race. It was the same way he had looked at her right after they kissed, just before it all became awkward. Shelby knew what he was going to say and for a split-second she felt excitement.

Then dread. What if she was wrong? What if she read his face all wrong and her excitement gave her away; embarrassed her. Quickly, before Tyler could mutter out the rest of his question, Shelby pulled some money out of her purse, slammed it down on the table and came up with an excuse to leave. She bolted out of the bar, leaving Tyler all alone at the table, confused as to what just happened.

"Well... that's... awkward," he muttered to himself.


	3. Three Makes A Triangle

While Tyler tried in vain to ask Shelby out on a real date, Chase took Kendall across the street to the park for a walk. He hadn't been telling tales when he said it was a nice night. Winter never really got too cold in Amber Beach, but tonight was particularly mild.

Chase was rather comfortable on the walk, and not just with the weather. His feelings for Kendall had left him feeling confused for a long time, but he learned to live with them in a way that wouldn't impact his friendship. While he had struggled with how he felt, he had learned one important thing: he didn't want to lose Kendall. His ideal, of course, was a romantic relationship. He loved her in a way he never had any other girl. He found himself wanting to do things for her and with her he never imagined doing with anyone else. Every time he thought of her, he smiled. All around, she made him happy. So if he couldn't be with her romantically, he wanted to be her friend. Therefore, he put the choice in her hands. Whatever she wanted to be to him, and him her, he would be happy with.

Where Chase was comfortable, though, Kendall felt a little uneasy. The date hadn't been her idea: Shelby had gotten the ball rolling. Still, Kendall was determined to take advantage.

"What would happen on a date?" she asked Chase, diving right into it. Chase gave her a quick look then shrugged his shoulders.

"It'd be you and me, alone, for starters," he chuckled. "I'd take you somewhere nice and we would just... talk."

"That's it?" Kendall asked. Chase gave a little nod. "So, kind of like this?"

"Yeah, kind of like right now," Chase chuckled, realizing he had just described what they were currently doing. He hadn't meant to do it. He didn't want Kendall to think he had used Tyler's attempt to ask Shelby out so he could trick her into a date. "Only, you'd know about it beforehand."

"I've never... considered dating," Kendall admitted, though she was sure Chase had already suspected that much. "It's just... the way I grew up didn't really instill in me a sense of... family. I didn't want to be a mother. I thought I'd be bad at it. A part of me still does."

"You're great with Cammy."

"I'm not her mother," Kendall said. "I figured, if I wasn't going to be a mother, I didn't need a husband. I wasn't going to give someone else the chance to walk out on me."

"You say that like it's a guarantee."

"The way I was raised, it was," Kendall sighed. "It wasn't until the Fishers that I had someone in my life who wouldn't leave and, I guess, I didn't trust it. So I left them and focused myself on something I had more control over."

"Energems?"

"School," Kendall chuckled, nudging Chase. "I didn't meet Keeper until a year and a half ago."

"Right."

"I would always have my studies," Kendall explained. "Every night, without fail, I could come home to my dorm, shut the door and study. It didn't matter if it had been a long day or the coffee maker broke, I could always learn something new. For once, I had complete control and I liked it. After my undergraduate, I kept up my studies, determined to learn as much as I could."

"It's an escape?"

"Like how skateboarding is for you," Kendall said. "Once I started studying, I forgot all about my parents fighting when I was a kid, or how dad left, mom killed herself and I left the Fishers. All that mattered was the information in front of me and what I could do with it. I guess, that's how I started on the path I am now. And all of that, I could do alone."

"You could," Chase nodded his head, showing he agreed. "But you don't have to."

"I know," Kendall sighed. "It was nice, but also... a little lonely. Books don't exactly cheer when you do well on a test, and papers don't take you out for drinks when you've make a real breakthrough. I guess that's why I started leaning on you Rangers. Finally, I had people in my corner. You were truly happy with my creations and when I fell, I finally had people who could pick me up."

"It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Scary, mostly," Kendall admitted to Chase, looking to him with a bit of regret. "I like it, don't get me wrong, but there's this huge part of me still that's telling me not to get attached to this feeling because it'll go away."

"You know, some friendships last a lifetime," Chase said.

"And some fall apart for no reason," Kendall reminded me. "Best friends go without speaking for just a few days, and suddenly, years later, you can't remember the last time you saw each other."

"It's never for no reason," Chase smiled. "Friendship takes work, and you're the hardest working person I know. If you've got your heart in it, Kendall, you won't lose what you have with any of us."

"I know I don't want to give up on this. But the others..."

"They like you too, Kendall," Chase assured her. "Don't let anything your parents told you put that into question. You're not just our mentor or boss. You're a real friend."

"And you?" Kendall asked. "How much work are you going to put into this? How... how can I know this won't hurt?"

"You don't, I guess," Chase shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I can't say it's going to work between us for sure."

Kendall sighed, turning away from Chase. She hated uncertainty. She hated the lack of control she felt when she had no idea what to expect next. Even worse, she hated how she couldn't be prepared. The worst could hit her, and she wouldn't know how to stop it hurting. That was how it had been when her father left and how she felt after her mother died. The blows felt like they had come out of nowhere and because of that, it took her a lot longer to be able to get back up on her feet.

"But there's something we can do," Chase added. "We can put the odds in our favour so that we at least don't get hurt."

"How so?"

"We're honest with each other," Chase said. "Just like we have been all along. You tell me what's going on, you let me help, and I'll do the same with you. And if, whatever we've got between us isn't working, we tell the other person, right away."

"And we won't hurt?" Kendall asked. "You won't be hurt if I call it off? If I like us better as friends?"

"Well... I guess I'll be hurt," Chase answered, rubbing the back of his neck. Kendall had gotten him there. He couldn't really guarantee pain would be avoided under any circumstance. "But... it'll be easier."

"You think?"

"Just, break it to me gently," Chase chuckled, giving his head a nod right before he realized he and Kendall weren't speaking hypothetically. She wasn't talking about if they got together, how he would feel. She was talking about if they broke up. He looked down at her, trying to see, based on her facial expression, if his suspicions were true. When Kendall shied away, nervous by his gaze, but also a little flattered by the look, he smiled. "Kendall, are you..."

"Tonight was supposed to be a date," Kendall told him. "A double date, really but... I... I wanted to see if... if this could work."

"And?"

Kendall looked back up at Chase, her face still blushing deep red, but less out of uncertainty and doubt and more so from anxiousness. Her eyes met Chase's and she leaned in, planting a quick, gentle kiss on his lips.

Meanwhile, off in the distance, Heckyl stood by a tree, watching the scene. Since his plan to steal the energems from the frozen Rangers had been foiled, he had been trying to come up with something new. Something that would get them for sure and hopefully make them suffer in the process. He didn't just want to take the energems, but he wanted to have fun doing it.

And what was more fun that torturing the Rangers?

The blue and red Rangers had tricked him and helped the others break free of their icy prisons. Fortunately, Heckyl hadn't revealed his identity to the Rangers. He had stood as himself in front of Kendall, but wiped her memory of him for that encounter. It was too soon for her to realize that the man she considered a friend was really looking for a way to stab her in the back.

Heckyl hadn't targeted Kendall for no reason. He had learned that she was the brains behind the operation. When the Rangers got new toys, either she had designed them, or the technology that helped the Rangers acquire the new weapons. When the Rangers found an energem, she was leading the charge, either on the field or behind the scenes. Even better, she had her own energem, and through it, access to all that power. If he was going to have an in, she was it.

But his plans repeatedly failed. He had tried using his magic to twist her mind. He got a lot of secrets out of her, but no energems. The Rangers kept them too close to their chest and didn't respond as quickly as he liked to her disappearance. Then, when he tried to freeze them, two Rangers found a way to ruin his plans again. Heckyl was growing frustrated. Even worse, his counterpart Snide was getting frustrated. Unlike Heckyl, Snide wasn't enjoying this search for the energems.

Heckyl hadn't really planned on making a friend, if he could call Kendall that. He thought, while he was manipulating her into trusting him, that he would be immune. But their late night conversations, their outings for coffee, the tour of the museum had done something to him. Heckyl found he actually kind of liked having someone to talk to. Of course, not at the expense of the energems. He would gladly sacrifice any relationship with Kendall for even just one energem. Or... would he?

It wasn't supposed to affect him at all, but seeing Kendall reach up and plant a kiss on Chase's cheek burned Heckyl. He was sure he had left her with nothing but good memories of him. He was sure, as far as she was concerned, they were good friends. How then, could she suddenly decide to go for the black Ranger? How could Chase, despite all of Heckyl's mind tricks and manipulations, be the one Kendall turn to and trust the most? What kind of spell did this skateboarding kiwi have over Kendall that could overpower him?

He clenched his fists as his rage grew. The tattoo on his neck then began to glow. Normally, Heckyl would try to fight it. His counterpart was a part of him, but they often didn't quite see eye to eye. This time, he let Snide take over.

When the transformation was complete, Snide let out a cry and rushed to the Ranger. He wasn't too concerned with the way Heckyl felt, though knowing a part of him had been betrayed did motive him to give this fight his all. Rather, he cared more about obtaining the energems and there were two right in front of him.

In honour of Heckyl, he charged for the black Ranger first, drawing his sword. Chase and Kendall didn't have time to morph before they were taking to the ground. Snide grabbed Chase, pulling him to his feet before he began his beating.

"Stop it!" Kendall shouted as she picked herself up and morphed. Suddenly, the purple Ranger fired a shot at Snide, knocking him to the ground. She made her way over to Chase, helping him up then standing guard in front of him as he fumbled to grab his morpher and charger. Kendall held her sword at the ready, glaring angrily at Snide.

This was him, she just knew it. This was the monster who had invaded her head, who made her believe her friends couldn't be counted on. This monster had made her miserable, and she wanted her revenge. While Chase morphed, she rushed to Snide, meeting him in battle. She landed a few blows, striking him once across the chest, but then he took over from there, blasting her aside and setting his sights once more on Chase. The black Ranger was barely out of his morph before he was met with Snide's brutality, and took a hard hit to the head as a result. Fortunately, his helmet protected him, but not by much. Snide's attacks were relentless, and the more opportunity he got, the stronger his blows felt until, suddenly, Chase was on the ground, unable to get up. His suit failed him, disappearing from his body while he looked up helplessly at Snide.

"I'll take your energem," Snide said, reaching to Chase's chest but he was stopped when blast shot him in the back. He turned around, seeing the purple Ranger standing behind him. "Fine," he growled. "I'll take yours first."

Chase watched from the ground as Snide unleashed his fury on Kendall. She was able to hold her own, but Chase knew that wouldn't last long. Snide wasn't like the other monsters they fought. He was stronger, faster, and more determined to get what he wanted. Maybe it was because the other monsters were more so fighting for freedom from Sledge than to obtain energems and defeat the Rangers. Maybe, it was just because Snide was truly powerful, and nothing the Rangers possessed could match him.

Either way, he and Kendall couldn't handle this fight alone. Groaning heavily from the pain, Chase reached to his back pocket, where his communicator rested. He pulled it out and called for help from the others before turning back to the battle and helplessly watched as Snide took control of the fight, knocking a tired Kendall to the ground. Like Chase, she had no strength left in her and powered down.

"It was fun," he said, lifting his sword for the final blow when a mark on his neck began to glow. Snide grabbed it, stumbling backwards in pain.

"I must!" he cried out, seemingly to himself. "I must destroy them! Both of them! It's the only way!"

Despite his cries, Snide stumbled further and further away from both of the Rangers before breaking out into a run, retreating in spite of being the victor in that battle. Kendall watched him go, breathing a sigh of relief before she noticed Chase a little ways off. She jumped to her feet, racing over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Chase nodded his head, but let out a little groan of pain as he did so and Kendall could see his injuries were far worse than he was letting on. For some reason, that monster had attacked him first, and attacked him the hardest. She shook her head, that didn't matter anymore. He was gone, for now. "We better head back."


	4. Heckyl's Anger

The Rangers were back in the lab, tending to Kendall and Chase. The purple Ranger had only a few cuts and bruises. Nothing too serious and nothing a bit of rest and an ice pack couldn't fix. Chase seemed a little more beat up and though he insisted he was fine, he was resting in a cot and barely able to get up on his own.

"Is this the guy?" Tyler asked, showing Kendall a rough sketch he had drawn of the monster that helped Ice-Age trap them in the ice blocks. When she nodded her head to confirm, he looked to Riley to explain, "He's stronger than the other monsters. He could be the one leading the next attacks."

"It's a good thing we're all back, then," Riley said. Though he was a little sad that he would have to be away from his family for a long time again, he was glad to be back in the city. He had to admit feeling a little more at home in Amber Beach than he did on the farm. While he could keep up with the daily chores and did like the peace the country brought, he liked the challenges of living in the city. He liked being with people a little more like him. A huge part of him was glad he had been called back.

"So far, we know this guy is like Sledge and he wants the energems," Shelby stated and was intentionally keeping her distance from Tyler. It had barely been a couple of hours since she had blown him off and she was sure things between them were once again going to be awkward. She just hoped no one else would pick up on the new tension between them. "But we don't know what he can do."

"Actually, we do," Kendall muttered as she looked to Koda, then Ivan, then the rest of her team. "That's him, I know it is."

"Who?"

"The one who took me," Shelby and Tyler knew of her abduction, even if they didn't come to town to help. They had kept in touch and offered to make the trip back, but Chase had insisted they had everything under control, particularly when Kendall was back in safe hands. Riley also knew, having been called to town to help manage the lab while Kendall kept away from it. Still, no one had been able to put a face on her abductor until now.

Except Chase, who listened from his cot with a nervous feeling in his stomach. He had come face to face with the monster before. He had shared his experience with Ivan, but hadn't been able to describe the monster in a meaningful way. He had been too far to get a good look. However, he had recognized him when he turned up with Ice-Age and again in the park. He just hadn't said anything yet.

He knew Kendall knowing before now wouldn't have changed anything. Still, he felt a little bad for not having shared what he knew with her right away.

"You not remember much," Koda said to Kendall, looking with concern. If the monster that had hurt her was back, he really wanted to keep an eye on her, worried she would be the target again.

"And I still don't," Kendall said. "But he's the reason why. He was in my head. He controlled the way I thought he... he would have had access to anything, really, if he's that powerful."

"Anything, as in...?" Riley asked, trailing off because he hoped his thought was wrong. But Kendall gave a short nod.

"He may know more than we'd like him to."

"Like our base?" Shelby asked. "Ms. Morgan, you told him about our base?"

"I... I might have. Or he might have found out or..." Kendall wasn't taking Shelby's accusations as such. She knew her team worried just as much as she did about keeping their lab and everything inside it a secret. Still, she felt a little attacked by Shelby's tone, and her guilt didn't help the matter. She shrunk a little bit, lowering her head. This prompted Koda to puff his chest and stand in her defence.

"Kendall not have choice!" he growled to Shelby, who put her hands up, showing the blue Ranger she meant no harm.

"Sorry. I get that. It's just... what can we do if the bad guys know where our base is?"

"I can increase security," Kendall said. "Strengthen the sensors; program a complete lockdown for unknown visitors..."

"And will that be enough?" Tyler asked. "If this monster guy comes back, a few sensors and a lockdown will be enough to keep him from doing much damage?"

"I... I hope," Kendall sighed. Riley shook his head.

"Look, we don't know much right now," he said to his friend. "We've got no idea who this guy really is, what he's really after, and how much he really knows."

"Is this supposed to help?" Shelby asked.

"It's late," Riley continued. "What if we take our energems with us, head back home and get some rest. In the morning, we can come up with something to protect the lab."

"Sounds like a plan," Tyler agreed as he started to move to the elevator. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea of leaving the lab vulnerable during the night but he was eager to leave. Being in the same room with Shelby after she ran out on him just before he could ask her out was growing increasingly awkward. She wouldn't look at him, she wouldn't go near him; it was like right after they kissed, only worse because they had to pretend nothing happened in front of the others. He couldn't wait to get home and forget this night ever happened.

Right behind him, Ivan and Riley were helping Chase get to his feet and promised to take him home and look after him during the night. Shelby took her energem and purposely walked slowly in order to miss the first elevator ride up with the boys. It was bad enough being in the lab with Tyler. Being stuck in a tight elevator with him would be unbearable. When the ride up came back, she hopped in, looking over her shoulder at Kendall and Koda.

"Are you two..."

"I keep eye on Kendall," Koda promised Shelby. "You must stay safe too."

"Promise," she nodded as the doors closed and the elevator took her up. Koda then reached for his energem, taking it from the crystal bed before turning to Kendall. She had her energem around her neck already but was packing up some chargers, her computer and some of her books. She would leave nothing behind, just in case there was a break in.

"This monster not hurt you," Koda assured her and held his hand out, offering to take some of the books from her. He knew she could carry it all herself, but he wanted to help. Kendall put the books and her laptop bag in his arms and gestured to the elevator.

"Can you take those out to the car? I just want to lock up before we go."

Koda nodded his head. The lab was inside the museum, so it would benefit from the museum being as secure as possible too. He made his way out while Kendall secured the lab. Then she made her way upstairs and double checked the doors and the security system. Just as she was double checking the museum's front doors were all locked up tight, she noticed someone standing outside and looking in. She jumped, startled at first, but when she looked again she recognized this person.

"Heckyl?" she unlocked the doors and stepped out. He waited for her by the street, arms crossed. She smiled as she made her way over, unable to believe he had actually come back. She remembered he had left shortly after she had been kidnapped, explaining that if he wanted his career as a singer to take off, he had to continue travelling and make his name known in as many places as possible. It had broken her heart that one of her friends, someone she trusted dearly, was leaving her and she truly doubted she would ever see him again. After all, Heckyl had made it clear when they first met that he wasn't one to stay in a single place for too long. Surely he had left many people in his wake, hoping one day he would return to them.

When she reached him, she wanted to hug him, but his body language stopped her. He didn't seem happy to be back, nor did he look especially pleased to see her. She stopped and looked to him with hurt and concern. "Heckyl, is everything..."

"How could you," he growled and she frowned, unsure what he meant.

"Excuse me."

"I saw you," he said. "In the park! I saw who you were with!"

"You mean Chase?"

"You kissed him!"

"Do... do you like Chase?"

"I thought _we_ had something!" Heckyl shouted at her, causing her to wince. He had never yelled at her before. In fact, she was certain she had never seen him angry. She shook her head, feeling a little nervous now.

"Heckyl I thought... we were friends, weren't we? I... I was just looking for a friend."

Heckyl sneered. He was doing his best at this point to keep Snide at bay. He wanted to address Kendall himself, mostly because he was hurt and he wanted answers from her directly. But also, he knew this would mess her up further. Despite his pain, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to really put the Rangers through more hell.

"So those late nights? Those coffee dates..."

"Friends," Kendall insisted. "Heckyl, I never meant to lead you on. I thought..."

"Some friend you are," Heckyl turned his back to her. Kendall reached out, taking his arm.

"Heckyl, I'm sorry," she said. "I..."

"Let me go," Heckyl growled, ripping his arm free from Kendall's grasp as he started to walk off but she followed him. Sharply, he turned around, grabbing her by the neck. Before she could do anything to stop him, he lifted her off the ground. His hands glowed blue, and that light traveled through her body, keeping her from fighting him off. His eyes met hers. She looked to him in terror.

"Do it!" he heard Snide say in his head. "Finish her off, take the energem!"

Heckyl had to admit, he was tempted to do as Snide wanted. He was angry with Kendall and her energem was suspended from her neck, right in front of him. He had seen the other Rangers leave already, there would be no one around to stop him, and he would have an energem in his possession without the others being the wiser as to who he really was.

He looked back at her with a smirk but then noticed something in her eyes. It was no longer just terror, but recognition. He had played too hard too fast. His face, his anger had triggered her memories, allowing her to break past the walls he had built up in her mind and recognize him, not Snide, as her abductor all those weeks ago. He knew coming back would be a risk. He knew displaying his anger would likely trigger something, but he hadn't been able to control himself.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and then let her fall. He flexed his hands as he refocused his powers. In that time, Kendall started to get to her feet as she tried to run away. Heckyl knew he couldn't let her go like this. She would tell the other Rangers about him. He would be made. He held out his hand, encased her body in the blue light again and pulled her back towards him. When she was at his feet, he let her go. His intention was to grab her and alter her memory of tonight. However, she slipped past him again.

"I can keep playing this game, you know," he called to her as he trapped her again with his powers and dragged her back. This time, he caught her only by the feet. The less powers he used, the faster he could switch to altering her memories. When she was close, he grabbed her, putting his arm around her neck while his other hand touched her head.

"Shh," he said as she tried to pull free. "This will all be over soon."

He replaced his face in her mind once more, deciding tonight would just be another attempt at abduction, this time by a human stranger. He wanted her to suffer for betraying him, but he couldn't risk her finding out about his desire for the energems just yet. When he was done, he let her go. Kendall pulled away from him in terror but when she turned back and looked at him, the recognition in her eyes was gone. To her, now, he was just some stranger, someone she would hopefully never see again. He wasn't her friend Heckyl.

He felt comfortable letting her run off, and watched her go back inside the museum and lock up the doors. He watched her then run deeper into the museum before he turned around and left. As he walked off, his heard his pocket watch chime. He opened it, looking to Snide.

"You let her go! You fool!" the monster shouted at him.

"One energem is not enough," Heckyl answered. "Besides, we've tried abducting the purple Ranger and that got us nowhere."

"You should have destroyed her!"

"The Rangers know about you, Snide," Heckyl reminded him. "Don't think they would be foolish enough not to put the pieces together."

"I can take them."

"I'd rather not take that chance," Heckyl said. "I'll do this my way. You'll see, I'll get all eight of their energems soon enough."

"You better be right, Heckyl," Snide growled. "Or else, we're doing this my way."

Heckyl closed the pocket watch and rolled his eyes before he glanced back at the museum. His heart continued to ache in a way he couldn't imagine. How could she betray him? How could she choose the black Ranger over him? And why did he care so much? It was the energems he was after. Kendall was just a means to an end. She wasn't supposed to matter this much to him.

Yet she did. And she managed to hurt him in a way no one had before.

"Fury," he called, picking up his communicator. "Set up the regenerator. I've got a new plan."


End file.
